A DRUNK student who survived falling into a freezing river in the early hours is to meet his rescuers.

The un-named man, aged 20, fell into the River Wear in Durham City just a week after the body of law student Euan Coulthard was recovered from the water.

Durham Police today (Monday, March 2) revealed that he agreed to meet the policemen and firemen who hauled him to safety as part of a “restorative approach resolution”.

He has been handed a £60 Fixed Penalty Notice for being drunk and incapable and will be referred to a diversionary scheme to learn about the risks of drinking.

The Durham University student and his rescuers will discuss the incident and its impact on both sides.

He was spotted in the water near Durham Amateur Rowing Club at 1.45am on Friday, January 30, by a passer-by who raised the alarm.

Police and fire personnel formed a human chain to drag him to safety and he was treated for hypothermia at the city’s University Hospital of North Durham.

Police said afterwards that he was lucky to survive.

A spokesman for the Durham force said: “Following the incident we have reviewed the circumstances and hope that by giving the man the opportunity to discuss the incident with his rescuers and attend a diversionary course he will receive the support he needs and will have no further issues.”

Euan Coulthard, 19, from Bottesford, Leicestershire, became the third Durham University student to die in the river after a night out since October 2013.

He went missing on Wednesday, January 14, after visiting the Loveshack nightspot and was seen on CCTV walking down steps onto the riverbank footpath by Framwelgate Bridge.

His body was found on Friday, January 23, a short distance away.

The tragedy, and the deaths of students Sope Peters and Luke Pearce, has heightened concerns about the dangers students face after drinking in the city and led to calls for increased riverside safety.

The national charity RoSPA will carry out a survey on the issue and recommend action.

* Police have formally confirmed the identity of rowing coach Bill Grant, 67, a father-of-three, from Cleadon, South Tyneside, who died in the River Wear in Durham City during a coaching session on Saturday. A post mortem will be carried out this week. It is believed a pre-existing medical condition may have caused the tragedy.